The toner transfer method of fabricating PCBs is a staple in every maker’s toolbox. Usually, tutorials for this method of making PCBs rely on a clothes iron or laminating machine. They work perfectly well, but with both of these methods (sans high-end laminators), you’re only heating one side of the board at a time, making perfect double-sided PCBs somewhat of a challenge.
[Mark] just came up with an interesting solution to this problem. A waffle iron PCB press. Technically, [Mark] is using his ‘grill and waffle baker’ as a two-sided griddle, with a few aluminum plates sandwiching the copper board for good thermal conduction.
After a whole lot of trial and error, [Mark] eventually got a good transfer onto a piece of copper clad board. Now that he has the process dialed in, it should be a snap to replicate his results with a new project and a new PCB design.
Nice idea,
I tried it several times but I never got satisfying results. It locked similar to his “Experiment #8”, no mater how careful I was at any point the toner didn’t stick to the pcb.
Over all the photo expose method is much reliable and not so expensive.
Maybe I give the toner transfer another chance if I buy a new printer.
LOL! I just picked up one of those 2 weeks ago at a garage sale. Guess I know what I’m gonna be doing with it.
I tried this while doing some double sided boards for opto isloation a couple years back. couldn’t get it to work (without major changes to the waffle iron I took from home — DW wouldn’t like it coming home in pieces). I see one at a garage sale, I’m doing the same thing aztraph is….
read his blog. He should try overhead projector sheets. I never have the rub off problems with that. I pass it through the laser printer 2 to 3 times to get a good thick layering of toner.